Despite intense opposition from the state's sheriff's association and state prison officials, inmates will now be paying less to make phone calls.

Foster Campbell, chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission that governs the rates companies and agencies can charge for such calls, has been pushing a program to cut those costs for much of the past year.

In December, after two previous attempts, he was able convinced the commission to vote to cut the cost of collect long-distance calls for most inmates.

Inmate calls typically originate in prison or a parish jail and are charged collect to family and friends of the prisoner. Prisons contract with exclusive telephone providers to handle inmate calls, with both the provider and the jail or prison adding in a healthy markup.